A lather of love

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Photo by Sarah Finnegan.

Mountain Brook residents Vince Schilleci and his wife, Anne Schilleci own and operate the locally-based soap company, Freedom Soaps. The company, started by fellow Birmingham resident Chastity Curtis in 2012, was purchased by the Schilliecis in July of 2017 and now operates in a small warehouse in Homewood.

Nowadays, people are conscious of what they put in their body — organic foods are considered top of the line and many are choosing to look more closely at what they eat. But Vince Schilleci and his wife, Anne Schilleci, believe people should care just as much about what they put on their body, including soaps. 

And that’s their goal with their new company, Freedom Soap Company.

Started in 2012 by Birmingham local Chastity Curtis, the Schillecis bought Freedom Soap Company in July 2017 after looking for a change in pace. Vince Schilleci is a practicing attorney in Birmingham, while Anne Schilleci is a trained CPA. 

Although her husband still works full time, Anne Schilleci can be found at their warehouse in West Homewood most days making lip balms, bath soaks, cleansing face oil, hard scents and whipped shea butter, among other things, and Vince Schilleci will often work with Freedom Soaps in the evenings and on weekends.

But one of their most popular items is the namesake of their company: soaps.

“I think it’s really a … superior product,” Vince Schilleci said of the soaps. They’ve kept all the same scents that Curtis founded the business on, and he said their soap recipe is one that lasts longer, has a better lather and smells better. 

Their soaps are made from a cold process, or a process that doesn’t use an open flame, to maintain the chemical integrity of the oils. The oils are heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit and then added to a lye, or a soap batter, for mixing. From there, everything is placed into a mold to create “soap loafs” and then cured for four weeks.

All of their soaps’ essential oils are from the United States and Anne Schilleci said they are all-natural and exclude parabens, artificial scents and dyes that can be harmful to skin.

“I think if you pull out our bar, you can pronounce every ingredient,” Vince Schilleci said.

Anne Schilleci said they have many scents that can help with certain skin conditions like rosacea or eczema, too, such as the rose clay soap or the oatmeal soap. The activated charcoal soap helps with acne as well, as it pulls impurities from the skin.

Another popular item they sell is a rose and cedarwood toning water.

“I would say that product and our cleansing oil are our most loyal product,” Vince Schilleci said. The cleansing oil is aimed at helping skin produce the proper amount of oil, which can be stripped away when using certain cleansing products.

And while they may not have been trained in the soap-making process years before taking over the business, both Anne and Vince Schilleci agreed they hit the ground running to prepare for the holiday gift-giving season.

They’ve since started offering gift set options, including corporate gifts and cleansing sets, while looking into creating new recipes. Eventually, Vince Schilleci said he wants to put together a beard line that would include a pre-shave beard oil and a shave soap, and Anne Schilleci said she’s in the process of creating a clay mask line.

And they want to do this while keeping everything under the simple process that they’ve been using this whole time, including the all-natural ingredients. 

“What we’re trying to [have our customers] focus on is ‘Hey, focus on not only what’s going in your body, but what’s going on your body,” Vince Schilleci said. “Once people understand the health benefits to this, it’ll be a no-brainer.”

Editor's note: This article was updated at 7:54 p.m. on Dec. 28 to correct a misquote.